Electrical conversion plug



May 27, 1969 J. SPITERI 3,446,954

ELECTRICAL CONVERSION PLUG Filed March 13, 1967 mvsu'roa JOSEPH SPITERI United States Patent 01 ice 3,446,954 ELECTRICAL CONVERSION PLUG Joseph Spiteri, Erie, Pa., assignor to Lake Shore Markers, Inc., Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 622,801 Int. Cl. F211 15/06 US. Cl. 24011.2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to lighting and more particularly to a combination electrical plug and lamp which are especially suited for use in lighted signs.

The combination is made up of a lamp such as shown for example in Patent No. 3,089,951 and a plug body made of molded plastic material and has spaced frustoconical terminals extending from one end thereof that may be received invfemale tubular electrodes on the lamp. The plug has an outside threaded electrical conductive material around it. The plug body terminates at the end distal from said terminals in an electrode that extends from the plug and is disposed concentric relative to said body. The electrode is connected to one terminal and the conductive material is connected to the other electrode.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved combination lamp and plug.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plug and lamp combination that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plug and lamp combination particularly suitable for use in lighted signs.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a composite view of the plug and lamp according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows the lamp assembled to the plug.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the combination shown in FIG. 1.

Now with more particular reference to the drawings, the plug has a body 11 which has spaced openings 12 in one end thereof. The body is made of a molded plastic 3,446,954 Patented May 27, 1969 material having the openings 12 in one end which receive the cylindrical portions of the terminals 14 and 15. The terminals 14 and 15 extend outwardly and have the frustoconical ends that are split as shown so that the split portions will be slightly compressed together when the ends are inserted in the female terminals 21 and 22 to frictionally hold them in place.

The body 11 has the shell 13 which may be made of a sheet metal cup with threads rolled on it and disposed on the outside of the body. The shell may be molded in place on the body or it can be fixed to the body by means of a suitable adhesive or any other suitable fastening means.

The fiat end opposite the terminals 14 and 15 has the electrode 16 which is generally in the form an inverted frustoconical shape with its base molded into the end of the body as shown and this electrode 16 extends slightly outward from the end of the body and is generally concentric to the cylindrical body. The leads 17 and 18 connect the terminals 14 and 15 to the shell 13 and the electrodes 16 respectively.

The lamp 19 has a generally fiat base 20 that is integrally attached to the hollow cylindrical outer wall and it terminates in the convex end 23. The female electrodes 22, which are slightly tubular in shape, are fixed to the lamp and connected to the light source shown. The convex end 23 will be made of a light emissive material. A flange 24 is integrally attached to the body of the plug and this may be used to grip the plug to thread it into a suitable socket into the electrical side of the light.

When the lamp is assembled to the plug, the entire combination may be inserted into a suitable receptacle in an electrical sign or the light.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows.

I claim:

1. In combination a plug and a lamp,

said plug comprising a body made of electrical insulation material and being generally cylindrical in shape,

a shell made of electrical conductive material sup ported on and attached to said body,

said shell having male threads formed on its outside,

spaced male terminals fixed to a first end of said body and extending therefrom,

an electrode fixed to said body at a second end thereof and disposed substantially at the center thereof, electrical leads connection one of said terminal to said shell and the other said terminal to said electrode,

a lamp,

said lamp being round with a flat side and a convex side,

two spaced female electrical terminals fixed to said lamp and extending from said flat side,

said female terminals being made of electrical conductive material and adapted to receive said terminals,

said convex side of said lamp being made of light emissive material,

and a light source connected to said female terminals.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein the outer part of said terminals are irustoconical in shape.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said female terminals are in the form of metal tubes of sufiicient size to snugly receive said male terminals.

4. The combination recited in claim 3 wherein said plug made of a molded plastic material.

5. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said terminals are split longitudinally.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 3/ 1929' Italy.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

0 ROBERT P. GREINER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 40-130 

